Vitamin B6 Rich Vegetarian Foods in India: 29 Foods Ranked (IFCT 2017)
Nuts, seeds, whole pulses and banana come up when vegetarians look for vitamin B6. This guide ranks 29 foods by Total B6 per 100 g using Table 2 (Water Soluble Vitamins) of the ICMR-NIN Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017), then shows what a serving we chose holds. It ranks the vitamin in the food, not how much the body absorbs, which IFCT does not report.
The short answer
By IFCT 2017, pistachio nuts have the most Total B6 of the 29 foods here at 0.96 mg per 100 g, then sunflower seeds at 0.94 mg and walnuts at 0.80 mg. Black and white sesame have 0.64 and 0.62 mg, and whole urad 0.53 mg, the highest pulse row. Banana (robusta) has 0.44 mg, wheat atta 0.25 mg, brown rice 0.37 mg and raw milled rice 0.12 mg. The lowest rows are ripe papaya and whole cow milk at 0.04 mg. Our reading: nuts and seeds are ahead per 100 g, but a handful is about 20 g, and pulses, grains and banana are eaten in larger amounts, so look at the serving table too.
29 foods ranked by Total B6 per 100 g
Each row is one IFCT 2017 Table 2 row (water soluble vitamins), the Total B6 (VITB6A) column, in mg per 100 g edible portion as listed in the book, mean values as printed, with the number of regions IFCT measured. This is a selection of 29 common foods, ranked using only rows measured in 5 or 6 regions. Nuts, seeds, grains and pulses are dry or raw; leaves, vegetables and fruit are raw; milk is as sold. Several foods tie: fenugreek leaves and tender field beans both have 0.38 mg, bajra and ladies finger both 0.27 mg, and papaya and cow milk both 0.04 mg, so within a tie the order is only by code. Where IFCT lists several varieties we use one row and name it.
| Food (IFCT 2017 Table 2 row) | Total B6 per 100 g | Regions measured |
|---|---|---|
| Pistachio nuts (H018) | 0.96 mg | 6 |
| Sunflower seeds (H020) | 0.94 mg | 5 |
| Walnut (H021) | 0.80 mg | 6 |
| Gingelly seeds, black (black sesame, til) (H009) | 0.64 mg | 6 |
| Gingelly seeds, white (white sesame, til) (H011) | 0.62 mg | 5 |
| Black gram, whole, dry (whole urad) (B004) | 0.53 mg | 6 |
| Lentil, whole, brown (whole masoor) (B014) | 0.46 mg | 6 |
| Maize, tender, local (A007) | 0.45 mg | 6 |
| Banana, ripe, robusta (E012) | 0.44 mg | 6 |
| Soybean, brown, dry (B024) | 0.43 mg | 6 |
| Red gram, whole, dry (whole toor) (B022) | 0.42 mg | 6 |
| Fenugreek leaves, raw (methi) (C020) | 0.38 mg | 5 |
| Field beans, tender, lean (D048) | 0.38 mg | 6 |
| Rice, raw, brown (A013) | 0.37 mg | 6 |
| Bengal gram, whole, dry (whole chana) (B002) | 0.36 mg | 6 |
| Green gram, whole, dry (whole moong) (B011) | 0.35 mg | 6 |
| Pomegranate, maroon seeds (E055) | 0.29 mg | 6 |
| Jowar (A005) | 0.28 mg | 6 |
| Bajra (A003) | 0.27 mg | 6 |
| Ladies finger (bhindi) (D056) | 0.27 mg | 6 |
| Wheat flour, atta (A019) | 0.25 mg | 6 |
| Red gram dal, dry (toor dal) (B021) | 0.24 mg | 6 |
| Black gram dal, dry (urad dal) (B003) | 0.22 mg | 6 |
| Spinach, raw (palak) (C033) | 0.15 mg | 6 |
| Rice, raw, milled (A015) | 0.12 mg | 6 |
| Potato, brown skin, big (F006) | 0.10 mg | 6 |
| Ragi (the grain, raw) (A010) | 0.05 mg | 5 |
| Papaya, ripe (E049) | 0.04 mg | 6 |
| Milk, whole, cow (L002) | 0.04 mg | 6 |
Several spices and garnishes also have B6 per 100 g in IFCT 2017 (fenugreek seeds, G026, 0.77 mg; curry leaves, G010, 0.57 mg; big garlic clove, G011, 0.56 mg), but they are eaten in grams, so they are left out of this ranking. Some foods with higher Total B6 than most of the list are also left out: safflower seeds (H019, 0.93 mg, 5 regions, p.86 of IFCT 2017, mainly an oilseed), cane jaggery (I001, 0.71 mg, 6 regions, p.86) and pippali (G030, 0.60 mg, 6 regions, p.85). Rows measured in fewer than 5 regions are also left out. This is a selection, not every row.
Vitamin B6 in a serving, with weights we chose
IFCT lists food per 100 g, so a serving needs a weight, and these are ours. Each figure is the value per 100 g times the grams, divided by 100, to the nearest 0.01 mg.
| Serving (weights are ours) | Total B6 |
|---|---|
| 20 g pistachio nuts (H018) | 0.19 mg |
| 20 g sunflower seeds (H020) | 0.19 mg |
| 20 g walnuts (H021) | 0.16 mg |
| 10 g black sesame (H009) | 0.06 mg |
| 30 g whole urad, dry (B004) | 0.16 mg |
| 30 g whole toor, dry (B022) | 0.13 mg |
| 30 g toor dal, dry (B021) | 0.07 mg |
| 40 g whole wheat flour (atta) (A019) | 0.10 mg |
| 30 g raw brown rice (A013) | 0.11 mg |
| 30 g raw milled rice (A015) | 0.04 mg |
| 100 g ripe banana (robusta) (E012) | 0.44 mg |
| 100 g tender field beans (D048) | 0.38 mg |
| 100 g raw spinach (C033) | 0.15 mg |
| 100 g potato (F006) | 0.10 mg |
| 200 g whole cow milk (L002) | 0.08 mg |
What the numbers say
- Nuts and seeds lead per 100 g, in small servings. Pistachio nuts have 0.96 mg and sunflower seeds 0.94 mg per 100 g, so 20 g of pistachio nuts holds about 0.19 mg.
- Whole pulses are ahead of dals. Whole urad has 0.53 mg against 0.22 mg for urad dal, and whole toor 0.42 mg against 0.24 mg for toor dal.
- Whole grains are ahead of refined rice. Brown rice has 0.37 mg and wheat atta 0.25 mg against 0.12 mg for raw milled rice. See lysine in vegetarian Indian foods and which dal has the most protein for the same pulses and grains on protein.
- Banana ranks ninth of the 29. At 0.44 mg per 100 g it is below whole urad (0.53 mg) and above wheat atta (0.25 mg).
The same Table 2 also gives thiamine, riboflavin, niacin and folate: see B1, B2 and B3 rich vegetarian foods and folate-rich vegetarian foods. For other nutrients in the same nuts and pulses, see magnesium-rich vegetarian foods, zinc-rich vegetarian foods, potassium-rich foods and vitamin E-rich vegetarian foods.
What the requirement table says
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note on nutrient requirements for Indians (PDF page 6) lists, in its Table 3 (males) and Table 4 (females), a vitamin B6 (mg) RDA of 2.4 and 1.9, with EARs of 2.1 and 1.6. The note's row is labelled "Vitamin B6 (mg)", the same unit as IFCT's Total B6 column. This page quotes the figures as written and does not turn the serving figures into a share of them: they are targets for a day, and a table of foods does not tell you what you eat or absorb.
What this page leaves out
- Absorption and cooking: IFCT 2017 reports the vitamin in the raw or dry food, not how much the body takes up or what is left after cooking, and we did not read a source that gives this for Indian foods.
- Cooked values and foods with no IFCT row (roti, cooked dal, curd, tofu), fortified foods and supplements.
- Which forms of B6 the Total B6 column includes: the book labels the column Total B6 and we did not read a breakdown.
- Spices and garnishes eaten in grams, and rows measured in fewer than 5 regions.
- Whether you have enough vitamin B6, and whether a supplement or your medicines matter: only a doctor can tell you that.
A note on health
This article is general educational content, not medical advice. It does not say that any food prevents or treats any condition or low vitamin B6. If you are pregnant or breastfeeding, follow a restricted diet, have a medical condition, take medicines or have been told a vitamin is low, talk to a doctor or registered dietitian about your own situation before changing your diet or taking any supplement.
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Join the NYUS waitlistFrequently asked questions
Which vegetarian foods have the most vitamin B6?
In IFCT 2017 Table 2, per 100 g, the highest Total B6 values among the 29 foods here are pistachio nuts (H018) 0.96 mg, sunflower seeds (H020) 0.94 mg, walnuts (H021) 0.80 mg, black sesame (H009) 0.64 mg, white sesame (H011) 0.62 mg, and whole urad (B004) 0.53 mg. These are raw or dry foods, as IFCT lists them, and IFCT 2017 has no rows for cooked foods.
How much vitamin B6 is in a serving of nuts, dal or banana?
By our arithmetic from IFCT 2017 Table 2, 20 g of pistachio nuts holds about 0.19 mg of Total B6, 30 g of dry whole urad 0.16 mg, 100 g of ripe robusta banana 0.44 mg and 200 g of whole cow milk 0.08 mg. The serving weights are ours, and these are raw-food values, not what is left after cooking.
How much vitamin B6 do I need?
The ICMR-NIN 2020 brief note (PDF page 6) lists a vitamin B6 RDA of 2.4 mg for males and 1.9 mg for females, with EARs of 2.1 mg and 1.6 mg. This page does not turn the serving figures into a share of those numbers and does not say whether you are getting enough.
Should I take a vitamin B6 supplement, and does it matter if I take medicines?
This page cannot say and does not recommend supplements. IFCT 2017 reports the vitamin in the food, not how much the body absorbs. If you think your vitamin B6 may be low, take medicines or supplements, or have a medical condition, ask a doctor or registered dietitian.
Sources
- ICMR-NIN, Indian Food Composition Tables 2017 (IFCT 2017). Table 2 (Water Soluble Vitamins), Total B6 (VITB6A) column (mg), per 100 g edible portion, rows opened and read from the PDF on 24 Oct 2026: A003, A005, A007, A010, A013, A015 (PDF page 71); A019, B002, B003, B004, B011 (PDF page 72); B014, B021, B022, B024 (PDF page 73); C020 (PDF page 74); C033 (PDF page 75); D048 (PDF page 77); D056 (PDF page 78); E012 (PDF page 79); E049, E055 (PDF page 81); F006 (PDF page 82); H009 (PDF page 85); H011, H018, H020, H021 (PDF page 86); L002 (PDF page 87).
- ICMR-NIN, Nutrient Requirements for Indians 2020, brief note, Tables 3 and 4, PDF page 6.
The serving weights and the serving figures are NYUS's own arithmetic, and every sentence starting "Our reading" is NYUS opinion, not from a study. Names in brackets are our matching to the IFCT row names.